According to the survey, almost one in three Germans owns an e-bike

The e-bike boom continues to gain momentum in Germany, with nearly one-third of adults, 31.4 percent, now owning an electric bicycle or pedelec, according to a recent survey conducted by energy company E.ON in collaboration with the polling institute Civey. This marks a more than doubling of the ownership rate since 2020, when just 15.2 percent of adults had such vehicles. The increase has been steady over the past few years, rising from 24.7 percent in 2024 to approximately 28 percent in 2025, with another 3.4 percentage points added in 2026. The survey, which questioned up to 30,000 individuals aged 18 and older through a weighted online panel, provides a reliable snapshot of adult bike ownership in Germany. However, it does not include minors, and the reliance on online data means less digitally connected groups might be underrepresented. Regional disparities are evident, with some areas showing significantly higher adoption rates. Niedersachsen leads the country with 39.4 percent of its adult population owning an e-bike, meaning almost four out of every ten residents have one. On a district level, the Grafschaft Bentheim stands out with the same 39.4 percent figure, followed by several districts in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Borken (36.6 percent), Coesfeld (36.2 percent), and Steinfurt (35.9 percent). Other regions such as the Emsland, Vechta, and Cloppenburg also exceed 34 percent. Notably, even mountainous areas like Freyung-Grafenau in Bavaria, with its challenging terrain, manage to secure a spot in the top ten, suggesting that e-bikes effectively counterbalance geographical challenges. Conversely, eastern German states generally show lower ownership rates. Thuringia, for example, recorded around 21 percent in earlier surveys. Structural factors play a role in these regional differences, with areas boasting strong cycling traditions, well-developed cycling infrastructure, and moderate commuting distances experiencing particularly high e-bike adoption. In rural areas where public transportation options are limited, e-bikes increasingly serve as a complement or partial replacement for cars, especially for trips between five and twenty kilometers. Younger generations are driving much of this growth, with the share of e-bike owners among those aged 18 to 29 increasing dramatically. From 9.8 percent in 2021, the number rose to 13.8 percent in 2023 and further to 17.5 percent in 2024, a near doubling in three years. Despite this rapid rise, older age groups remain ahead, with 26.4 percent of those aged 50 to 64 and 27.6 percent of those over 65 owning e-bikes. This trend suggests that younger people are increasingly viewing e-bikes as viable alternatives to cars for daily commutes and errands, potentially influencing future urban planning and transportation policies. Approximately 40 percent of e-bike owners report using their vehicles as substitutes for car travel, while an additional 27.6 percent of non-owners say they would consider switching to an e-bike for short trips up to ten kilometers. When calculated, this translates to roughly 12 to 13 percent of all adults in Germany regularly replacing car journeys with e-bike rides. This shift is particularly impactful in urban settings, where internal combustion engines contribute disproportionately to carbon emissions due to frequent cold starts. By reducing these emissions, e-bikes offer a tangible environmental benefit, especially for short-distance travel. In major cities, e-bikes are often part of a broader multimodal transport strategy, serving as connectors to public transit systems or being used via shared mobility services. They are less commonly used as primary modes of transport in these areas, though their role could expand with improved cycling infrastructure and safer parking solutions. The survey results pertain exclusively to Germany, so direct comparisons to Austria or Switzerland cannot be made based on this data.